Imagine a future where asphalt pavement production is entirely automated. By James Careless. CONJURE UP self-driving trucks hauling raw materials to a fully-automated asphalt plant; unloading them in sensor-monitored, weight measurement holding areas. Think of the materials and fluids stored in these areas being constantly monitored by sensors tracking their humidity, temperatures, and other vital characteristics; with all this data being fed into and analysed by the plant’s asphalt mixing control software in real-time. [ 992 more words ]

The HEB/Fulton Hogan JV team working at Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway had been hoping for a dry start to the earthworks season; they can be pretty happy with the weather thus far. There is a further 1.3 million cubic metres of earth to move this season, but glorious conditions prevail at the site. Here's a slideshow of pictures taken by NZTA around the site.

PIcture shots of Huntly Section earthworks- picture credit to NZTAWith glorious dry conditions late spring early summer the project team at Huntly has been able to making a solid start on the bulk earthworks. Here are pictu... ... See MoreSee Less

Cranes punctuate Queenstown’s skyline as the town revs into overdrive on infrastructure projects to satisfy unprecedented tourism demand. Denise McNabb talks to Smith Cranes’ Queenstown manager Tupuarangi Kopa about being in the crane business in this resort town. AN ICY WIND blows off the Remarkables’ snow-drizzled peaks, chilling the Wyndham Gardens’ hotel and apartment suites construction site taking shape near the airport. [ 1,106 more word ]

Determined to break into the off highway truck market, International Harvester introduced the model PayHauler 65 (18 ton capacity) and Payhauler 95 (24 ton capacity) in 1957.I.H. engineers had made a close study of comparable Mack and Euclid off highway rear dumps and come up with their own hybrids which, as it turned out, were very successful.These machines were simple to operate, easy to repair and exceptionally ruggedly builtA number of optional engines were available to suit customer requirements and these included the International UD & DT series, and Cummins NR & NH models.Initially only Fuller manual transmissions were offered but before too long Allison powershift transmissions were made available to outfit the machine to customer specifications. The Allison transmission soon became a standard item although the Fuller manual type remained in the outfitting options for many years.

Heart of the entire PayHauler range was the massive main frame constructed of two variable section ‘I’ beams with a distinctive kink near the rear axle and plenty of cross-bracing. These gave the machines a real backbone to take on the hardest jobs.Huge leaf spring packs front and rear provided cushioning for the vehicle and operator.Ross steering gear was utilized along with a hydraulic steering booster to make the operators life a little easier.The front axle was manufactured by Rockwell while the rear axle, differential & planetaries were all made by International Harvester.The PayHaulers were quite quick with an average road speed of 37 mph.For stopping power the Payhaulers relied on air operated expanding shoe type brakes and those machines equipped with the Allison powershift transmission option also had the benefit of an integral transmission retarder to help slow down and preserve the service brakes on long downhill grades.

A choice of dump bodies could was offered – a tapered profile quarry type with much reinforcing to take repeated shock loading imposed by rocks and a general earthworks body which featured a straight profile.The majority of New Zealand PayHaulers were equipped with the quarry body.A single multiple stage hydraulic cylinder was employed on the Model 65 while the Model 95 and subsequent Model 100 used two cylinders.Average dump speed was an impressive 7 seconds.

Offset to the left side of the machine was the operator’s cab, a steel structure with plenty of glazing.As with most machines which had their design origins back in the 1950’s the cab interior had few creature comforts and was fairly austere but roomier than a lot of the competition..A large steering wheel was the centrepiece to a dash panel which contained a full set of instruments,Machines equipped with tha manual transmission had an air=boosted clutch to reduce driver fatigue.For the day, the drivers seat was very good quality and adjustable to suit different sized operators.In order to cut down glare and dust adhering to the glass, the two-piece winscreen had an inverse taper, a feature which set the machines apart from their contemporaries.